What Childress Engineering Services does

Childress Engineering Services, Inc. (CES) is a privately held, founder-owned civil and structural engineering firm established in 1994 by Tony Childress in Richardson, Texas. The firm operates across seven integrated service divisions: Structural Engineering, Curtainwall and Facade Engineering, Consulting, Residential, Architectural, Disaster Response, and Expert Witness. It serves enterprise, institutional, and government clients across commercial, healthcare, sports, government, education, technology, automotive, and residential verticals, delivering design, analysis, peer review, forensic investigation, and litigation support on projects ranging from single-family foundations to landmark high-rises and the world's largest domed stadium (AT&T Stadium).

The technical stack is built on industry-standard design and analysis software — REVIT for 3D BIM modeling, Autodesk Inventor for CAD drafting, and ACAD for 2D detailing — applied to specialized problems in curtainwall systems, seismic/hurricane/blast-resistant design, and forensic structural assessment. The firm holds professional engineering licenses in nearly all 50 U.S. states and has delivered projects internationally (China, Argentina). Revenue is generated through project-based professional services fees that are quote-based and scope-driven, with no public pricing or productized SaaS offerings. Customer acquisition runs through direct enterprise sales, referrals, and repeat relationships with general contractors, architects, developers, and government entities, with the firm typically engaged as Engineer of Record early in the design phase through construction completion.

Since 2019 the firm has pursued an active acquisition strategy, acquiring SC Wright (San Diego, 2019), Jax Kneppers & Associates (Walnut Creek, 2020), Group Structural (2020), and Attention To Detail (Rockwall, TX, 2021) — each adding forensic, architectural, structural, or facade capability rather than duplicating existing lines. The firm is family-led in finance, strategy, and innovation functions, has weathered the 2008 construction downturn via business reshaping, and maintains 24-hour on-site mobilization capability for disaster response engagements. There is no evidence of external venture or private equity investment, no public listing, and no disclosed revenue.

Name

Childress Engineering Services

Legal name

Childress Engineering Services, Inc.

Website

https://cesglobal.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Childress Engineering Services is a founder-owned Texas-based civil and structural engineering firm, founded in 1994, operating seven service divisions (structural, curtainwall, consulting, residential, architectural, disaster response, expert witness) serving enterprise, institutional, and government clients nationwide with engineering licenses in nearly all 50 states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Richardson

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Engineering Consulting Services: Professional engineering consulting services for structural, curtainwall, and building envelope projects. Revenue is generated through project-based fees for design, analysis, peer review, and forensic investigations. Services are billed per project with fees based on scope and complexity.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Childress Engineering Services is a civil and structural engineering firm that delivers structural engineering, curtainwall and facade engineering, architectural design, residential engineering, consulting, disaster response, and expert witness services for commercial, institutional, and residential construction projects. The firm operates through seven service divisions and serves as Engineer of Record on landmark buildings, with professional engineering licenses in nearly all 50 U.S. states and select international projects.

Product overview

Childress Engineering Services (CES) is an engineering, architecture, and consulting firm offering a comprehensive portfolio of specialized services. The company operates as a multi-service practice rather than a unified software platform. Its core offerings include Structural Engineering Services (covering steel, concrete, and wood structures), Curtainwall Engineering Services (including facade design and analysis), Consulting Services (forensic engineering and building envelope consulting), Residential Engineering Services (foundations and framing), Architectural Services (design and renovation), Disaster Response Services (rapid mobilization for catastrophic events), Expert Witness Services (litigation support), and Drafting Services (shop drawings, BIM modeling). These services are delivered through seven divisions that work together to provide integrated solutions for commercial and residential projects across the globe.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Structural Engineering Services Comprehensive structural engineering services including new building design and analysis for commercial, retail, industrial, institutional, and residential buildings, and restoration of existing buildings. Specializes in steel, concrete (including specialty systems), and wood structures, as well as retaining walls, inspections, failure analysis, and building code interpretation. Includes seismic and wind load analysis, foundation design and evaluation, retrofitting and rehabilitation, value engineering, peer reviews, and code compliance consulting.
• Curtainwall Engineering Services Comprehensive curtainwall and facade engineering covering design and analysis of aluminum and steel framing, stone and metal panels, glass and aluminum curtainwalls, storefronts, and skylights. Includes system design and structural analysis, wind load and thermal analysis, seismic/hurricane/blast-resistant design, facade consulting and value engineering, anchor and connection design, design-assist and pre-construction consulting, and restoration/retrofit solutions.
• Consulting Services Structural consulting services for new and existing buildings including system design, structural analysis, inspections, code interpretation, peer review, forensic evaluations, failure investigations, building performance assessments, and expert witness support. Includes building envelope consulting (curtainwall, facade, water infiltration and air leakage analysis, thermal/energy efficiency, roofing, waterproofing, restoration, field air and water testing), peer reviews of construction documents, submittal reviews, site visits, and in-situ field testing.
• Residential Engineering Services Comprehensive design, engineering, and consulting for residential projects including foundations, framing, specialty concrete, and retaining walls. Covers wood framing design and analysis, concrete foundation design, load-bearing wall and shear wall design, seismic and wind load evaluations, custom home and renovation engineering, gravity and cantilever retaining walls, reinforced concrete and masonry walls, hillside and slope stability analysis, drainage and waterproofing solutions, structural assessments and inspections, failure investigations and damage assessments, code compliance and permit support, value engineering, on-site quality control inspections, and building code interpretation.
• Architectural Services Architectural engineering and design for residential, low-rise, and high-rise commercial projects. Includes innovative design, construction documents, field investigation, multimedia and presentation services, code interpretation, permits, quality assurance, and energy compliance. Bridges engineering precision with creative architectural vision, including design for projects such as coffee shop conversions and amenity centers within school facilities.
• Disaster Response Services Rapid structural assessments, damage evaluations, and stabilization strategies following hurricanes, tornadoes, fires, floods, and other catastrophic events. Engineers work alongside property owners, contractors, and emergency management teams with on-site mobilization capability within 24 hours. Includes complete exterior facade redesign after catastrophic events (e.g., EF-3 tornado) and design of production space and office building rebuilds.
• Expert Witness Services Engineering expertise supporting legal disputes, insurance claims, and construction-related litigation. Includes forensic investigations, failure analysis, code compliance reviews, and engineering testimony for mediation, arbitration, and court proceedings. Includes 3D modeling and animations for court exhibits, building envelope failure investigations, and post-disaster damage assessments.
• Drafting Services Shop drawings and fabrication details, 3D BIM modeling using REVIT and Inventor, ACAD drafting services, panel and unitized system coordination, and glass, metal and cladding system details. Supports both curtainwall and structural engineering project delivery.

Quantifiable outcome

• Rapid mobilization capability - on-site within 24 hours for disaster response
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Arup: Large global engineering consultancy with deep structural, façade, and building envelope groups; overlaps with CES on curtainwall design-assist and complex high-rise projects but operates across many infrastructure disciplines.
• AECOM: Global infrastructure and engineering services firm whose Buildings + Places practice includes structural and façade engineering on landmark projects; competes with CES on enterprise and government jobs.

Direct peers

• Simpson Gumpertz & Heger (SGH): Engineering firm focused on structural engineering, building envelope, and applied science with strong façade/curtainwall practice. Direct peer to CES on design-assist and complex building envelope work.
• Buro Happold: Global engineering consultancy with structural, façade, and building performance practices serving landmark projects worldwide — comparable to CES on multi-disciplinary engineering and curtainwall scope.
• Thornton Tomasetti: Global structural engineering and applied-science firm with deep curtainwall, façade, and building-envelope practices. Closest direct comp to CES on marquee building projects and multi-disciplinary engineering services.
• Heintges Consulting Architects & Engineers: Façade consulting and engineering firm delivering curtainwall design, building envelope consulting, and forensic façade work — a focused direct peer on the curtainwall side of CES.
• DeSimone Consulting Engineers: Structural engineering consultancy known for high-rise and luxury tower work; competes with CES on curtainwall and structural design-assist for premium commercial projects.
• Rosenwasser / Grossman Consulting Engineers: Curtainwall and building envelope structural engineering consultancy; directly comparable niche player to CES on unitized curtainwall design-assist and façade engineering.
• Walter P Moore: Structural and infrastructure engineering firm headquartered in Texas with significant façade engineering practice and stadium/landmark project experience comparable to CES.
• Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates (WJE): Engineering firm specializing in structural and architectural forensics, building envelope investigations, and expert witness work — directly overlaps CES's Consulting, Forensic, and Disaster Response divisions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/childressengineeringservices
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/childress-engineering-services
• Instagraminstagram.com/childressengineering
• Xx.com/childressengine

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Childress Engineering Services